Fabio Jakobsen finished last on stage 5 to Laruns, 33:50 down on the winner and new race leader Jai Hindley, but the Soudal-Quickstep sprinter considered making it to finish a personal triumph.
Jakobsen crashed hard and at speed in the stage 4 sprint on the Nogaro motor racing circuit but wanted to race on, despite a poor night’s sleep and lots of pain. He was fortunate not to suffer any fractures or serious injury but has lots of road rash.
His blue and white jersey and many bandages were covered in a mix of blood and sweat, confirming the painful odyssey he had survived on the first stage in the Pyrenees.
“I got through it, I think that's good,” Jakobsen admitted, sitting on the steps of his team bus as he spoke about his ride to survive.
“It was tough in the beginning. The start was super fast and my legs exploded but I was able to get back in the peloton. I found a nice group with Mark Cavendish and a little later we also caught Caleb Ewan."
The sprinters and their loyal lead-out men formed a gruppetto behind the main gruppetto, riding together to bring their sprinters home nine minutes inside the time limit of 42:43. Michael Mørkøv, Tim Declerq, Dries Devenyns and Yves Lampaert escorted Jakobsen to the line with Astana Qazaqstan and Lotto Dstny riders helping Cavendish and Ewan.
“After a big crash, everything is stiff and nothing wants to turn the pedals but I made it to the finish. I really gave everything to stay with the peloton but I had to ease up on a climb and the rolling roads. I actually didn't get back until the race settled,” Jakobsen explained.
“Then I hung on as long as possible, until the steep part of the first long climb. I was able to get into a pretty good group, along with Cavendish, Moscon, Bol and of course my teammates. With that group, we rode at a reasonably good pace. We made it.”
“It hasn't been painful in terms of the time in the saddle, more with my body. You don't know how it reacts after a fall like that. It was quite a blow. I slept badly, that's normal and it takes a lot of energy to keep going in pain, the energy that you would rather put into riding the bike.”
Despite Jakobsen’s pain and suffering, he stayed optimistic and determined to ride on, even if he faces a second mountain stage in the Pyrenees over the mighty Col du Tourmalet and up to Cauterets-Cambasque on Thursday.
“He’s a warrior,” former teammate and now Soudal-QuickStep directeur sportif Iljo Keisse told Wielerflits.
“He will continue on and hope to do something later in the Tour. These are tough days, let's hope it works out.
"We still had to race a lot more but I hope my wounds and bruises are now recovering,” Jakobsen said.
